Vol. 30: Monroe Stewart's Hooch Junction
Welcome to Monroe Stewart’s gorgeous Hooch Junction, an N scale model railroad featuring CSX and Norfolk Southern trains. Although the layout has about 2,000 feet of track, its scenery is not crowded, utilizing space remarkably. Hooch Junction is set in present day, with urban renewal ever apparent throughout this spectacular layout.
Monroe is a master model railroader who has built six outstanding layouts. The Hooch Junction is his second N scale effort, around which he designed his house. He now redesigns the layout to fit with his interests of trains and boats, with a focus on the relationship between shipping and railroads inspired in Monroe by going to school in Hampton, Virginia, in the Tidewater area.
The Hooch Junction fills a 20×40-foot space, with a minimum radius of 15 inches and a ruling grade of 2.5%. The Hooch Junction contains two separate main lines—Norfolk and Western (now Norfolk Southern) in gray and the CSX in yellow. During this series, we will follow two trains down the tracks, beginning with the Norfolk Southern at the Hooch Junction Engine Facility.
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2:26Overview of the Hooch Junction
We begin this overview of the Hooch Junction model railroad with a view of the trains rolling through the layout. This is the gorgeous Hooch Junction by Monroe Stewart. The Hooch Junction is an N scale railroad featuring CSX and Norfolk Southern trains. The two roads parallel each other through the Appalachian Coal Field. Even…
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18:36Touring the Hooch Junction
We begin the tour with a string of empty N&W hoppers easing into the Pupino Yard powered by three SD7s. The first two are lettered for the Norfolk Southern. The trailing unit is still labeled N&W. Off to the left is the McClain Equipment Company. Norfolk Southern units Number 199 and 198 leave the empties…
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6:00Owner Inspiration and Techniques on the Hooch Junction
The Hooch Junction Railroad of Monroe Stewart runs from the West Virginia Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean. Monroe came up with the name and route himself. The junction came from his days in Southeast Asia, where they referred to shack shanties and other outbuildings and dwellings as “hooches”. When he got back to the states…
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9:38Constructing N Scale Track
Monroe Stewart starts his process with a dollar can of brown primer spray from Kmart. A piece of cardstock is placed behind the track to preserve what’s behind it when he sprays. He shoots the brown primer lightly and not too neatly to give it a little rust color. Make sure to do this in…
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6:51Using Household Items in Modeling
Monroe Stewart shows some shapes found in everyday life or in grocery, hobby or hardware stores. A pill bottle, top of a mouthwash, hotel room shampoo, PVC pipe with a cone of styrene, a shower cap container, cosmetic containers, plumbing pipe, little miscellaneous bottles, caps, and wood dowels or some of these objects. After sanding…
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2:02Movable Scenes on the Hooch Junction Model Railroad
According to Allen Keller, Monroe Stewart has an interesting way of doing scenes, on his Hooch Junction model railroad. In fact, he has a movable scene. Monroe could have an island or not have an island on his layout, there are even two versions of said island. Previously, he had a panel, but with the…
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6:05Shapes of Buildings with Monroe Stewart
When talking about buildings and shapes as they relate to each other in terms of making a project, the footprint of a building, being defined as the perimeter of the building helps to define the base and the way the building will look. Here modeler Monroe Stewart has two rectangles side by side which gives…
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8:18Painting Brick with Monroe Stewart
Modeler Monroe Stewart has a special way of making brick structures look just right. His secret is to not rush or be in a hurry. His technique was taught to him a long time ago from a friend named Lee. He actually paints each brick individually. Monroe demonstrates on a building. Initially it is painted…
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